Convertible jtepladder



A. S. KIRBYM CONVERTIBLE STEPLADDER. APPLICATION FILEDJUNEZM 191B.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a1 J29 A/44] I 2,2 6 40 ZJ A. S. KIRBYQ .CONVEBTIBLE STEPLADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. I918.

Patented N 0v. 25, 1919.

a SHEETSSHEET 3.

nivrrnn srnrns PATENT or-rron.

ABNER S. KIRBY, OF FREDERIOKTOWN, OHIO.

CONVERTIBLE STEPIi ADDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER S. KIRBY, a citizen of the United States,residing at F redericktown, in the county of Knox and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ConvertibleStepladders, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to an improved step ladder and has as its primaryobj ect'to provide adevice of this character which may be adjusted toform a wall ladder.

The invention has as a still further object to provide a device of theabove described character employing swingingly connected ladder sectionsnormally disposed to provide a step ladder which may be mounted fromeither side and wherein the said sections will be adjustable withrespect to each other for varying the height ofthe step ladder.

A still further obj ectof the invention is to )rovide an arrangementwherein the step ladder will be rigidly supported by suitable sidebraces against lateral tilting and wherein the said braces may beadjusted to compensate for any adjustment in the height of the stepladder. 7

And a still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangementwherein the ladder will be equipped with adjustable foot bars so thatthe ladder may readily rest upon uneven ground.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds,and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodimentof the invention, and wherein similar reference characters desig natecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved step ladder,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 38 of Fig. 1 andparticularly illustrating the adjustable connection between the sidebraces of the ladderand the connecting bars between the ladder sections,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 1and looking in the direction of the arrows, this view particu-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 24, 1918. Serial No. 241,577.

larly'showing the construction and mount ing of the upper platform ofthe ladder,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on theline 55 of Fig. 1', and showingthe type of guide loop employed at the upper ends of the foot bars forthe ladder,

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1,and showing the type of guide 100p employed at the lower ends of thebars, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary edge elevation showing the manner in which thesections o-f the ladder are adjusted to provide a wall ladder.

In carrying out the invention I employ coacting ladder sections 10andll'respectively. The section 10 includes substantially parallel siderails 12joined by suitable spaced steps or rounds 13. In like manner,the section 11 includes substantially parallel side rails let joined bysuitable spaced steps or rounds 15. Asparticularly brought out in' Fig.2, the upper ends of the rails 14 of the section 11 are adapted to fitbetween the uptially midway of the ends thereof are. transverseconnecting bars 18. These bars are, as

particularly shown in Fig. 3, provided at their inner ends with suitablebosses lying against the outer sides ofthe railsl of the ladder section11 and extending through these bosses as well as through the said railsis a rod 19 swingingly connecting'the connecting bars with the said"ladder section. At its outer end the rod 19 is preferably equipped witha wing nut 20. The bars 18 adjacent'their outer extremities are formedwith longitudinally extending slots 21 and loosely fitting through theseslots trans- *icularly brought out in 3 of the di wings the connectingbars are tapered lo a 'itudmally from their outer ends toward 1' innerends. Consequently, after the g nut 23 has been once set, any tendency 01e ladder sections to spread at their tree ext "emit-ies will causethese connecting bars to wedge between the side rails 12 of the section10, the head of the rod 22 and the w ng nut and thus effectuallyovercome such movement. it the same time this wedging action of theconnecting bars will tend to prevent accidental displacement oi the saidwing nut.

Arranged at the outer side of the ladder are vertical braces 2 Thesebraces throughout the major portion of their length are provided withlongitudinally extending slots 25 through which the bolt 16 is fittedfor connecting the braces at their upper ends with the apex of theladder. Interposed between the upper ends of the said braces and theside rails 12 or" the ladder section 10, are suitable washers 25 uponthe said bolt and, as will, of course, be readily understood, the nut 1?of the rod 16 may be readily adjusted for clamping the braces fixedagainst vertical movement with respect to the rod. Securing theintermediate portions of the braces to the connecting bars 18 are bolts26, which are loosely fitted through the slots 21 of the said bars and,at their outer extremities, are freely received through the slots 25 ofthe braces. These bolts are preferably equipped with wing nuts 27 andinterposed between the connecting bars and the braces are suitablewashers 28 supporting the braces with respect to the said bars in suchposition that, as particularly shown in Fig. 2, the bars divergelaterally with respect to the ladder from their upper extremities towardtheir lower extremities. The wing nuts 27 of the bolts 26 may, ofcourse, be easily adjusted for clamping the braces in vertical position.In this connection it is to be particularly noted, as also best shown inFig. 2, that the braces are tapered from their lower extremities towardtheir upper extremities. Consequently, any tendency of the braces tomove upwardly, under the wei ht oi a load upon the ladder, will causethe said braces to wedge at their upper extremities between the washers25, the head of the bolt 16 and nut 17, and, at the bars 18 between thewing nuts 27 and washers 28. Such wedging action will, of course, bindthe said braces to effectually resist such vertical movement, while, atthe same time, the nut 17 and the wing nuts 27 will be locked againstaccidental displacement. The braces will thus be rigidly held to supportthe ladder against lateral tilting in either direction.

Adjustable upon the lower extremities of the side rails of the sectionsare a plurailty of foot bars 29. These bars are, as particularly shownin Fig. 1, provided with longitudinally extending slots 30 and fittedthrough the rails of the ladder sections to loosely engage through saidslots, are pairs of spaced bolts 31 preferably equipped with wing nuts32 operable for clamping the foot tions. The guide loops 33 and 3% arethus adapted to slidably support the foot bars upon the rails of theladder sections for movement to project below the lower ends thereofand, as will be readily understood, the several foot bars may, when itis desired to rest the. ladder upon uneven ground, be readily adjustedfor supporting the ladder in an erect position. The foot bars are, asparticularly brought out in Fig. 2, also tapered longitudinally fromtheir lower ends,

toward their upper ends so that any tendency of the said rods to shiftupwardly upon the rails of the ladder sections, under the weight of aload upon the ladder, will act to wedge the said bars between the saidrails and the wing nuts 32 of the bolts 31 and con sequently bind thesaid bars in fixed position. At the same time, such wedging action willalso tend to lock the nuts against accidental displacement. As will eseen, these foot bars and guide loops therefore, while beingparticularly designed for use in connection with the present invention,are nevertheless adapted for general a-ppli cation and may accordinglybe applied to and efiectively employed upon various types of laddersalready in service.

Mounted upon the uppermost of the rounds 13 and 15 of the laddersections is a platform 35. This platform includes spaced upper and lowermembers 36 supported in parallel r lation a suitable spacing block 37interposed between said members, as particularly shown in F5 g. 4-, at apoint substantially midway between the ends thereof. Connecting the saidmembers and extending through the block are bolts 38, The

uppermost of the rounds l3 and '15 of the ladder sections are slidablyreceived between the extremities of the members 36 at opposite sides. ofthe block 37. Consequently, while the said platform may be shifted uponthe said rounds transversely wit-h respect to the ladder, the block 37will, nevertheless, hold the said platform against displacement. Thisprovides an arrangement whereby should the platform be found in the waywhen mounting the ladder at one side thereof, the said platform maysimply be shifted to the opposite side. Mounted upon the outerextremities of the connecting bars 18 is a second platform 39. Thisplatform is detachably connected with the bars by loops 4O looselyreceiving the terminal portion of the said bars and is held againstdisplacement by pins 41 removably fitting in suitable openings in theupper edge of the bars. Preferably, the pins 11 are connected with theplatform, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by suitable flexible elementsto prevent accidental loss of the said pins. Since the platform 39 issomewhat lower than the platform 35, it will be seen that I haveprovided an arrangement whereby a workman may stand upon the lowerplatform while a bucket or other utensil of the workman may be restedupon the upper platform in convenient position.

As will now be seen in view of the preceding description, by releasingthe wing nut 20 of the rod 19, the wing nut 23 of the rod 22, the wingnuts 27 of the bolts 26, and the wing nut 17 of the bolt 16, the laddersections 10 and 11 may be spread at their lower extremities foradjusting the height of the ladder, when the said nuts may again betightened up for clamping the several parts in adj ustedposition. Inthis way the height of the ladder may be easily varied. When the ladderis thus adjusted, the platform 39 is, of course, first removed bydisplacing the pins 41 and should the ladder sections be spread to suchextent that the members 36 of the platform 35 will not reach between theuppermost of the rounds of the ladder sections. this latter platform mayalso be removed.

In order to form the device into a wall ladder, the connecting bars 18and braces 24: are removed as are also the platforms 85 and 39. The bolt16 is then removed when the ladder sections 10 and 11 are disposed inalinement, as shown in Fig. 7 with the inner ends of the side rails 14of the section 11 abutting the uppermost round 13 of the section 10. Inthis position of the said sections the bolt openings adjacent the upperends of the side rails of the section 10 will register with similar boltopenings 42 formed in the side rails of the section 11 adjacent theuppermost round 15 of the said tions against inward movement relativeto,

each other. The foot bars at thelower end of the section 10 may, ofcourse, be readily adjusted to support the wall ladder upon unevenground and by employing the pairs of bolts 31 for holding the said barsin adjusted position liability of possible slipping of the said barswill be effectually overcome.

It will, therefore, be seen that I have provided a particularlyefficient type of ladder and a ladder which may not only be used as anordinary step ladder but may also be easily adjusted to form a wallladder. Furthermore, when used as a step ladder the device will berigidly supported against lateral tilting movement and may by properadjustment of the foot bars thereof also always be arranged in anupright position without regard to any unevenness in the surface uponwhich the ladder is rested.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A. device of the character described including coacting laddersections, means swingingly connecting said sections, a cross connectionbetween the sections, and lateral brace means for the sections arrangedat opposite sides thereof and held by said connecting means, said bracemeans being adjustable vertically upon said connecting means. 7

2. A'device of the character described including swingingly connectedladder sections, adjustable cross connecting means between the sections,and lateral brace means connected with the upper end portions of thesections at opposite sides thereof and engaging with the adjustablecross connecting means between the sections.

3. A device of thecharacter described including coacting swinginglyconnected ladder sections, connecting bars between the sectionsswingingly connected to one of the sections, and means adjustablyconnecting the free end portions of said bars with the other of thesections, the bars being longitudinally tapered to coact with said lastmentioned section for holding the bars wedged against longitudinalmovement with respect thereto. 7

4. A device of the character described including coacting laddersections connected at their upper ends, cross connecting means be tweenthe sections, lateral brace means connected with the upper ends of thesections at opposite sides thereof, and means clamping the lateral bracemeans and cross connecting means together.

5. A device of the character described including coacting swinginglyconnected ladder sections, adjustable cross connecting means between thesections, lateral brace means arranged at opposite sides of thesections, and means adjustably connecting said lateral brace means Withsaid cross connecting means.

6. A de ice of the character described including coacting laddersections, cross connecting means between the sections, and lateral bracemeans arranged at opposite sides of the sections and clampedintermediate of their ends against lateral movement with respect to thesections.

In testimony whereof I am); my signature.

ABNER S. KIRBY. [1,. s.]

